Table 1 Characteristics of participants according to EPDS score (N = 62,060).

From: Weight-loss behaviors before pregnancy associate with increased risk of postpartum depression from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Characteristics

No PPD (EPDS < 9)

n = 54,596

PPD (EPDS ≥ 9)

n = 7464

p-value

n

%

n

%

Women's factors including socio-economic status

BMI in first trimester (kg/m2)

 < 18.5

8542

13.8

1184

1.9

 < 0.001b

 18.5–24.9

40,538

65.3

5407

8.7

 

 ≥ 25

5516

8.9

873

1.4

 

Age of mother (years)

 ≤ 19

270

0.4

70

0.1

 < 0.001b

 20–24

4032

6.5

841

1.4

 

 25–29

14,710

23.7

2210

3.6

 

 30–34

19,928

32.1

2502

4.0

 

 35–39

13,027

21.0

1516

2.4

 

 ≥ 40

2629

4.2

325

0.5

 

Alcohol intake

 Never

19,182

30.9

2451

3.9

 < 0.001b

 Previous

29,651

47.8

4320

7.0

 

 Current

5763

9.3

693

1.1

 

Marital status

 Married

52,790

85.1

6995

11.3

 < 0.001b

 Single

1463

2.4

376

0.6

 

 Divorced, widowed

343

0.6

93

0.1

 

The number of people who provide emotional supports

 Median individuals

5

 

4

 

 < 0.001a

Highest level of education

 Junior high school, high school

18,037

29.1

3055

4.9

 < 0.001b

 Technical junior college, technical/vocational college, associate degree

23,815

38.4

2994

4.8

 

 Bachelor’s degree, graduate degree

12,744

20.5

1415

2.3

 

Annual household income

 < 4 million JPY

20,708

33.4

3469

5.6

 < 0.001b

 4 to < 6 million JPY

18,429

29.7

2316

3.7

 

 ≥ 6 million JPY

15,459

24.9

1679

2.7

 

The factors related pregnancy

Child's sex

 Male

27,923

45.0

3906

6.3

0.420b

 Female

26,673

43.0

3558

5.7

 

Mode of delivery

 Spontaneous delivery

31,727

51.1

4078

6.6

 < 0.001b

 Induced delivery

9651

15.6

1441

2.3

 

 Vacuum extraction, forceps delivery

3262

5.3

517

0.8

 

 Cesarean delivery

9956

16.0

1428

2.3

 

Previous deliveries

 Nullipara

21,808

35.1

4008

6.5

 < 0.001b

 Multipara

32,788

52.8

3456

5.6

 

Feelings when learning of pregnancy

 Very happy

37,059

59.7

4349

7.0

 < 0.001b

 Surprised but happy

13,371

21.5

2122

3.4

 

 Surprised and confused

3274

5.3

721

1.2

 

 Upset

215

0.3

89

0.1

 

 No specific feelings

209

0.3

55

0.1

 

 Other feelings

468

0.8

128

0.2

 

Stressful events during pregnancy

 No

32,815

52.9

3315

5.3

 < 0.001b

 Yes

21,781

35.1

4149

6.7

 

Disease in child currently under treatment

 No

48,657

78.4

6540

10.5

 < 0.001b

 Yes

5939

9.6

924

1.5

 

How the mother became pregnant this time

 Spontaneously

50,869

82.0

6963

11.2

0.087b

 Ovulation induction through medication

1488

2.4

196

0.3

 

 AIH

498

0.8

85

0.1

 

 IVF

922

1.5

121

0.2

 

 ICSI

439

0.7

54

0.1

 

 Fresh embryo transfer

24

0.0

0

0.0

 

 Frozen embryo transfer

303

0.5

33

0.1

 

 Blastocyst transfer

53

0.1

12

0.0

 

Recurrent miscarriage

 No

54,015

87.0

7386

11.9

0.521b

 Yes

581

0.9

78

0.1

 

Gestational weight gain

 Normal weight gain

28,906

46.6

3817

6.2

0.003b

 Abnormal weight gain

25,690

41.4

3647

5.9

 

Emotional abuse from partner during pregnancy

 No

48,452

78.1

5626

9.1

 < 0.001b

 Yes

6144

9.9

1837

3.0

 

Physical abuse from partner during pregnancy

 No

54,160

87.3

7254

11.7

 < 0.001b

 Yes

436

0.7

210

0.3

 

Psychological distress

 K6 < 13

53,769

86.6

6693

10.8

 < 0.001b

 K6 ≥ 13

827

1.3

771

1.2

 

Weight-loss methods before pregnancy

Eating two-thirds as much as usual or less

 No

47,853

77.1

6112

9.8

 < 0.001b

 Yes

6743

10.9

1352

2.2

 

Avoiding snacks and midnight snacks

 No

34,079

54.9

4403

7.1

 < 0.001b

 Yes

20,517

33.1

3061

4.9

 

Eating specific diet foods

 No

49,484

79.7

6464

10.4

 < 0.001b

 Yes

5112

8.2

1000

1.6

 

Taking a diet pill

 No

53,621

86.4

7214

11.6

 < 0.001b

 Yes

975

1.6

250

0.4

 

Vomiting after eating

 No

53,958

86.9

7251

11.7

 < 0.001b

 Yes

638

1.0

213

0.3

 

Smoking cigarettes

 No

52,608

84.8

6894

11.1

 < 0.001b

 Yes

1988

3.2

570

0.9

 

Exercise

 No

37,543

60.5

4770

7.7

 < 0.001b

 Yes

17,053

27.5

2694

4.3

 
  1. EPDS Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, PPD postpartum depression, BMI body mass index, AIH artificial insemination with husband’s sperm, IVF in vitro fertilization, ICSI intracytoplasmic sperm injection, K6 Kessler 6-Item Psychological Distress Scale.
  2. aMann–Whitney U test.
  3. bChi-square test.